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John,
BlackRock is one the world’s largest financial institutions and its President, Larry Fink, released a statement last weekend expressing sadness for the murder of George Floyd while claiming to be “committed to racial equity.”1 The problem? Larry Fink is a longtime donor and supporter of the New York City Police Foundation: a group that donates millions of dollars to the NYPD each year--buying them guns, horses, and bomb-detonating robots.2 The same NYPD that has been driving trucks straight into crowds of peaceful protesters gathering to protest the murder of George Floyd, trapping groups of people on bridges with teargas, and indiscriminately brutalizing bystanders. While it’s easy to appreciate that companies, brands, and celebrities are seeing the importance in publicly affirming their stance against racism, we know they need to do much more than issue a statement to meaningfully support our communities. The fact is, many of the same corporations coming out in support of Black Lives Matter are the same corporations that bear responsibility for violence, harm, and discrimination against Black people, whether they carry it out, enable it, or profit from it. BlackRock and Larry Fink’s support of an organization that was created to shield police officers from accountability are no exception. We are clear that company values or statements mean nothing unless they’re backed up by the leadership, the payroll, and the operations. That’s why we’re calling on Fink to put his money where his mouth is, and stop supporting the New York City Police Foundation today.
As a community, we have been using this moment to publicly interrogate the harm of policing and the violent actions carried out by law enforcement against Black people. We are watching and participating in the public grieving and anger calling for justice for Black people we have lost to police violence, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade. And we are challenging the institutions that continue to play an active role in Black people’s suffering and death. The New York City Police Foundation is privately funded by wealthy individuals like Larry Fink, and exists to give the police force the space to do what they want, whenever they want, to whomever they want. They have been instrumental in providing the military equipment the police are using on Black people at this very moment, and in perpetuating racist myths about policing and violent crime that justify the force's corruption. In fact, the New York City Police Foundation started the infamous “Crime Stoppers” marketing campaign, a program that turns uninformed viewers into paid vigilantes, likely to target Black neighbors, coworkers and strangers alike for “looking suspicious.” No matter how gruesome the injustice carried out by the officers it represents, this organization has put an incredible amount of time and resources into ensuring the police of the NYPD are both more armed and less required to answer to anybody but themselves than they have ever been. In that context, what else can Larry Fink’s financial support of the New York City Police Foundation represent but an attack on Black lives?
At this moment in our nation’s history, there are no sidelines--Fink’s donation to the New York City Police Foundation isn’t an arbitrary gesture, he is effectively supporting and advancing the deep harm that Black communities face. We, the people, say no to corporations and CEOs who say Black lives matter in one breath while supporting our destruction in another. Tell Larry Fink to stop supporting the New York Police Foundation.
Until justice is real,
—Jade, Brandi, Johnny, Amanda, Samantha, Eesha, FolaSade, Marcus, Marie, Ciera, Jennette and the rest of the Color Of Change team
References:
- “Recent Events of Racial Injustice,” LinkedIn, May 30, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163219?t=7&akid=43118%2E4731121%2EUhDeak
- “Do Cops Serve The Rich? Meet The NYPD’s Private Piggy Bank,” Gothamist, October 24, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/163219?t=9&akid=43118%2E4731121%2EUhDeak
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